Tethys: The War Golem

C. tries to access the Golem’s systems vocally, fails. It is proposed that perusing proper programming protocols probably would be preferable.

Golem team arrives with one Otto von Kurps and a Think Machine specialist. O.v.K. informs C. and Aran that he requires a hardwire connection. C. volunteers to attach the wires, A. and 4 soldiers from the transport team play distraction.

C. attaches the cable and the engineer shuts the device down, but one soldier is injured in the process. Meori attempts to heal the injured soldier but fails. Thus, Veronica uses elixir.

While V. rounds up the squires, Hanshiro arrives to evacuate the premises in a boat of his choice: A gondola. “If we hurry, we can leave before the commoners!”

V. is, needless to say, miffed about the knight’s thoughtlessness

--

C. gets all up in the Golem teams business, manages to find a data cassette full of old holoshows attached to the golem’s systems, presumably explaining the cringe-worthy commentary from the deranged machine.

O.v.K. tells that the golem was excavated by scravers, and prepped for transport by the dead engineer

C. returns to his favorite pastime, complaining about the competence of others.

--

V. sends the squires away on another boat, giving Karl a sword for protection, Stacy some money, and Philippa a piece of her mind when the girl complains. Richard decides to accompany the children to avoid any unnecessary complications.

V. oversees the evacuation, A. the collection of munitions and equipment, and H. gives first aid to those in need.

Eventually the group is picked up by Lord Kopov’s air raft. On the trip, V. is still miffed, M. seems depressed, while C. decides to bother H. and interrogate the Li Halan about his travels.

--

When the group arrives to Lord K.’s holdings, V. retreats to her chambers to soak/sulk (solk? suak?) in bath

R. “invites” H. to join him in the library for a discussion (verbal beatdown) concerning his avoiding of V. and on proper procedure in courting the baroness.

M., meanwhile, asks for guidance after her failure to conduit Pancreator’s power. She is granted a dream-vision she interprets as a message that she is being tried and tested, tempered by a passage through darkness.

It seems that the Li Halan took R.’s advice to heart; after her bath, V. finds outside her door two flowers woven into one: a Midian lily and a Delphian sweet pea. V. proceeds to put them in water.

C. sneaks into the kitchens to make himself a sandwich, servant seeks to interfere but is persuaded to disengage.

--

In the morning V. takes her squires for a run before martial training. Stacey takes note on M.’s improved mood, but does not pry. R. continues the history/etiquette lessons.

During breakfast, C. informs the group of the infiltrator, which leads to some amount of speculation on the identity of the perpetrator. Suspicion is directed towards the sons of the Lord of the house.

R. wonders aloud about the studying arrangements of Harn & Karl, C. gleefully informs the baronet that he arranged for the mute to teach the squire to read and write. Some are horrified, others wish to see how the boys manage the task.

V. commissions C. to buy cameras, and proceeds to arrange a meeting with Karon in the library to gauge his motives and loyalties as well as his technological talents. Kyrios arrives and is disappointed to find his younger sibling present.

Kyrios speaks of his mother’s side of the family derogatorily, which his brother seems to disagree with vehemently. All in all, the brothers do not get along, but Kyrios communicates his wish to “ride a mechanical horse” with V., while Karon tells V. of his Think Machine tutor.

--

R. tutors the three squires, as well as Harn and Stacy in the history of House Justinian.

M. goes for a walk in the greenhouse, meeting the lady of the house. They discuss the unpleasantness with the Golem, the local holy sites, and R.’s history research.

M., after the lady departs, feels as if she is followed, and tries to lose her stalker and follow him or her in turn. The follower seems to notice and tries to evade M., but is easily tracked by her. She gets one good look at the sneaker, and seeks out C.

C., after discussing the man with M., believes it might be the person who accessed the ship computers, and decides to put the servants to the task of identifying him.